Indicator for liquid-receptacles.



PATENTED JUNE 14, 1904.

M. BRAY.

INDICATOR FOR LIQUID RBGEPTAOLES.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 29, 1903.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

NO MODEL.

wiinesses: .LZ g

No. 762,575. PATENTED JUNE 14, 1904. M. BRAY. INDICATOR FOR LIQUID RBGEPTAGLES.

APPLICATION FILED OUT. 29, 1903. N0 MODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Patented June 14, 1904.

UNITED STATES PATENT ()EEIcE.

MELLEN BRAY, OF NEIVTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

INDICATOR FOR LlQUlD-RECEPTACLES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 762,575, dated June 14, 1904.

Application filed October 29, 1903. Serial No. 179,046. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MELLEN BRAY, of Newton, in the county of MiddleseX and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Indicators for Liquid- Receptacles, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has for its object to provide a simple and eflficient apparatus for indicating the height or quality of liquid in a receptacle bya pointer or indicatingmember outside the receptacle.

The invention consists in the improvements which I will now proceed to describe and claim.

Of the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 represents a side elevation, partially in section, showing an indicator embodying my invention. Fig. 2 represents a top view of the same. Fig. 3 represents a section on line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4: represents a section on line 4 L of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 represents a section on line 5 5 of Fig. 3. Fig. 6 represents a perspective view of the bushing aflfixed to the float. Fig. 7 represents a view similar to Fig. 1, showing the pointer located at a distance from the reservoir.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all the figures.

In the drawings, (4 represents the tank or reservoir, which in this case may be assumed to be the gasolenereservoir of a motor-vehicle, said reservoir having in its top a flanged opening 6, through which liquid may be inserted into the reservoir.

0 represents a cap which is formed to sur round the opening I).

(Z represents a vertical guide, which is preferably tubular and is aflixed by a set-screw e to the cap 0, said guide extending downwardly into the tank, and preferably to the bottom thereof.

f represents a vertical shaft, which is located beside the guide (Z and is substantially parallel therewith. The lower end of the shaft is journaled in a step affixed to the lower end of the guide (Z. The upper end of the shaft isjournaled in a sleeve or bearing 71, formed on or affixed to the cap 0. The main portion of the shaft f is preferably tubular, its end portions having solid terminals 9' g. In Fig. 1 I have shown a pointer 2' aflixed to the upper terminal g, said pointer projecting over a graduated plate 7', with which it cooperates, as hereinafter described. and pointer 11 are inclosed in a case 1-, which surmounts and is afliXed to the cap 0.

m represents a float, of cork or other suitably-buoyant material. Said floatis provided with two orifices m 121. the orifice m surrounding the guide (Z, while the orifice 9121 surrounds the shaft f. The said orifices are of such diameter that they are adapted to slide freely on the guide and shaft, so that the float is free to rise and fall with the liquid in the tank. The orifice m is provided with a bushing m on which is formed a stud or finger on", which projects over the orifice m and enters a spiral slot f, formed in the body portion of the shaft f. It will be seen that the float 722, while free to slide vertically on the guide (Z and shaft f, is prevented from rotating on the guide by the shaft, so that a vertical movement of the float will cause the stud m to cooperate with the spiral slot f in imparting a rotary motion to the shaftf. The spiralslot j is so formed that the float in moving from one extreme of its travel to the other will impart a complete rotation to the shaft, thus causing the pointer 2' to travel completely around the dial 7'.

I am aware that it has been proposed heretofore to rotate a pointer-carrying shaft by means of a float movable upon a fixed guide and engaging a spiral member on the shaft. So far as I am aware, however, the practice heretofore has been to locate the shaft within the guide, the latter being tubular and provided with a longitudinal slot through which a stud or pin on the float passes to engage a spiral member on the shaft within the guide.

The plate 7' My invention is distinguished from that last referred to by the fact that the guide and shaft are located side by side and are independent of each other, the shaft being'exten nal to the guide. I am therefore enabled to make the shaft of any desired diameter instead of being obliged to limit its diameter so that it may enter the guide. Iam also enabled to make the guide of much less diameter than would be possible if the shaft were located within it. A pointer-operating shaft of a relatively large diameter is desirable on account of the increased leverage which the pin on the float exertson the shaft when the diameter is relatively large, as compared with the leverage exerted on a shaft of smaller diameter. Hence the float is enabled to act more effectively in overcoming the frictional resistance to the rotation of the shaft. This resistance is especially to be considered when the shaft is extended through a stuffing-box a in the top of the tank, as'shown in Fig. 7, which figure shows a pointer 2', located at a point remote from the tank and connected with the shaft f through suitable gearing and shafting. It will be seen that the stuflingbox, which is desirable to prevent leakage of liquid around the shaft where it passes through the top of the tank, adds materially to the frictional resistance which the shaft has to overcome. The advantage of locating the shaft outside the guide (Z, so that it may be made of any desired diameter, will therefore be apparent.

The cap a is secured in place by means of rods 0, fitted to slide in guides 0 on the cap and provided with ears or lugs 0 formed to engage the under side of the top of the tank, as shown in Fig. 3, said lugs being pressed upwardly against the top of the tank by springs 0 The rods 0 are provided with studs 0, which are held by the springs 0 in engagement with notches 0" in the lower ends of the guides 0 to prevent the rods from being turned to disengage the ears 0 from the top of the tank. When it is desired to remove the cap a, the rods 0 are depressed until the studs 0* leave the notches 0 The rods may then be turned to swing the ears 0 inwardly out of engagement with the top of the tank, whereupon the cap may be removed. In the embodiment of my invention shown in Fig. 1 the cap 0 supports all parts of the indicator, the guide rl being aflixed to the cap, while the step 9 is affixed to the guide by a screw g The step and the bearing it on the cap support the shaft f: The indicator is therefore adapted to be applied to and removed from the tank as a whole.

The construction shown in Fig. 7 is intended particularly for motor-vehicles in which the fuel-tank is so located that its top cannot be conveniently seen by the operator, the pointer a" (shown in Fig. 8) being offset or removed from the tank into a convenient location to be viewed from the operators station.

I claim 1. In combination, a liquid-receptacle, a fixed vertical guide therein, a vertical rotary shaft located beside the guide and exterior thereto and provided with a spiral slot, a pointer op- I erated by the rotation of said shaft, and a float having two orifices, one of which is substantially central and is provided with a bushing having a stud projecting partially across the second orifice, the said bushing slidably fitting the fixed guide and the stud engaging the slot in the shaft, so that a vertical movement of the float causes a rotary movement of the shaft,

the float being prevented from rotating by the s aft.

2. The combination with a liquid-receptacle having an opening in its top, of a cap formed to cover said opening, a vertical guide aiflxed to the cap and projecting downwardly therefrom, a step aflixed to the lower portion of the guide, a pointer-operating shaft journaled at its lower end in said step and at its upper portion in the cap, said shaft having a spiral slot, a float having two orifices one of which is substantially central and is provided with a bushing having a stud projecting partially across the second orifice, the said bushing slidably fitting the fixed guide and the stud engaged with the said spiral slot, and means for securing the cap to the receptacle.

3. The combination with a liquid-receptacle having an opening in its top, of a cap formed to cover said opening and provided with indicator-operatin g mechanism including a float, and a shaft rotated by avertical movement of the float, and cap-locking means comprising rods longitudinally movable and rotatable in the cap and provided with ears to engage the cap, springs arranged to press the rods outwardly, and interlocking members which cooperate with the springs in preventing rotation of the rods.

4. In combination, a liquid-receptacle, a ro tary vertical shaft within the said receptacle and extending through a wall of the receptacle and supported independently of the shaft, a revoluble pointer adjacent to the receptacle, connections between the shaft and pointer for imparting rotary motion from one to the other, a float within the receptacle, means for guiding the float vertically, and means for imparting rotary movement from the float to the shaft.

5. In'combination,a liquid-receptacle,afixed vertical guide therein, a vertical rotary shaft located beside the fixed guide and provided with a spiral slot, a revoluble pointer adjacent to the receptacle, and supported independently of the shaft, connections between the shaft and pointer for imparting rotary motion from IIO the former to the latter, and a float having fioat being prevented from rotating by the two orifices, one of which is substantially censhaft. 10 tral and is provided With a bushing having a In testimony whereof I have aflixed my sigstud projecting partially across the second orinature in presence of two Witnesses.

5 fice, the said bushing slidably fitting the fixed MELLEN BRAY.

guide and the stud engaging the slot in the \Yitnesses: shaft, so that a vertical movement of the float FRED A. POPE,

causes a rotary movement of the shaft, the M. E. CRoeKER, 

